Disclaimer: lots of context, because I am not sure what information is needed to help answer my questions.
I am in a 1925 bungalow home in the STL area. I am able to access the attic space on one side, and here are some things I’ve noticed:
- there is blown in insulation between the ceiling joists
- blown insulation is filled to where the ceiling joists meet the rafters/roof decking
- there is no insulation between rafters
- the framing/walls for the interior room has no insulation between the studs
I want to improve the temperature quality upstairs for the short term while also planning to improve it in the long term as well. I think this could be done in 2 separate projects, but would like some input if this is the right direction.
Project 1. Put batts of insulation between wall studs. I’m thinking rockwool or unfaced fiberglass to allow any potential moisture to dry out. Being that the house is 100years old, it’s been breathing its own way. Since I’m not air sealing the attic space, I don’t want to introduce moisture issues by sealing off air flow.
Question: When installing the batts, how much space do I need to leave between the roof decking/rafters and the insulation in the frame of the ceiling that runs parallel to it?
Project 2. Improve the ventilation of the attic space. The house currently has gable end vents with roof cap vents. There is no soffit ventilation from what I can see when I pull the blown insulation away from where the ceiling joists meet the rafters/roof decking. From the exterior, there are soffit vents, but I am suspecting it is just against wood for aesthetics. With no lights on, I can hardly even see 1/8” of light shining through. Longer term would be to retrofit soffits vents with baffles and seal the gable vents. This is to promote the better ventilation in all attic space.
Question: If I am correct about the soffit essentially not being there (I haven’t done enough investigating to fully determine), then would retrofitting essentially be cutting holes where the soffit vents are and then cutting space where the ceiling joists/rafters meet to allow air to move?
As mentioned, just looking for confirmation or redirection in these projects. All of this has been learned through a series of about 30 google searches and 15 YouTube videos so far. It’s been hard to find my direction in this improvement project, because most of what I’ve found has been for newer built homes or full remodels where they have some sort of air/moisture sealing done. I’m not at that point and am wanting to do this as cost and energy effective now with a larger plan to address bigger issues later. Thank you in advance to anyone who has input or information!